If you’ve taken part in the Plenty! course, you may have noticed the words that introduce the questions in the session: words like ‘being’, ‘loving’ and ‘becoming’. These reflect the principles that lie behind the course, and it’s worth introducing them and the thinking behind them in a bit more detail.
As participants begin a session, the first question is a ‘being’ question. It’s introductory, inviting participants into the topic. The second question is framed with the word ‘loving’, as it asks participants to consider the topic in relation to community. It opens it out to include others.
As the session goes on, the topic is applied through ‘living’: thinking about the topic through your own experience, and then ‘becoming’ as we consider how we might change in response to what we are learning.
This change inspires action, and an ‘acting’ question. Finally, a ‘daring’ question poses more of a challenge, stretching our faith towards something that asks more of us.
The purpose of this framework is to lead from contemplation to action. It’s a transformational learning process that draws inspiration from Romans 12:2, where Paul instructs believers to “not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
We don’t just want the Plenty! course to be a talking shop, a series of thoughtful conversations about problems and injustices. We want it to bring change, to make a difference in our own lives and in the world, and the process behind the sessions has been designed with that in mind.
“These principles act as a way of guiding the conversation to follow the transformational process from past to present then future” says Katherine Hogg, Advocacy Officer for Joy in Enough and the writer of the course. “We want participants to be transformed as a result of the sessions and to go
on to transform society.”
To find out more or to see how it works in practice, browse the sample Plenty! session here.
Joy in Enough 